– T Farris
Roc Nation

From Swishahouse To Megan Thee Stallion

T. Farris is an enigma, he’s untraceable. He’s one of those managers, who couldn’t care less about being mentioned on lists and doesn’t want to take away any of the shine from his clients.

Still, when Megan Thee Stallion won three of the four Grammy Awards for which she was nominated this year – Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, the latter two both for “Savage” – it was clear that T. Farris had to be on this year’s Impact 50 list.

Also, because he successfully, and controversially, pried the Houston talent loose from her old label, 1501 Entertainment, and signed her to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. The move, naturally, was criticized by 1501 founder and CEO Carl Crawford, his former partner, though Farris doesn’t seem too fazed, probably because he played the main role in signing Megan in the first place. It was Farris who initially met the artist for lunch, after finding her on Instagram and inviting her over.

In a 2020 interview with “Broadcast Houston,” Megan Thee Stallion said she “just immediately fell in love with T. Farris as a person. He’s awesome, he’s amazing.”

Farris’ impact on Houston’s music scene cannot be overstated. He’s one of the main people responsible for popularizing the unique Swishahouse sound and taking it beyond the borders of Texas into the wider U.S., and indeed the world, in the 2000s.

This author’s youth, which was spent in a remote town in Germany, was heavily influenced by the likes of Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, Slim Thug and Paul Wall, who’s still active today, and has praised the positive influence of Farris throughout his 20-year career.

When the controversy around Megan Thee Stallion’s split from 1501 ensued, and label boss Crawford didn’t miss a chance to add fuel to the fire, Wall came out to say that Farris, “always kept it solid with me from the first time I met him back in ‘98. He is the reason why I signed with the #swishahouse after literally no one would f*ck with me.

“He brought me damn near all the songs/beats that I perform at my shows,” Wall continued. “I’ve never once experienced him mess somebody over, or go back on his word. He’s somebody who rides with me through the good and bad. I can’t imagine how my life and career would be without him as a manager/big brother.”

Farris once discussed his method for signing artists on Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9, just after he signed Megan Thee Stallion, who appeared on the show with him.

Referencing his own beginnings, Farris said, “I was young and hungry. And I see that in them. They figured out the grind for themselves. When I first started, I had my own grind and my own vision, and I see that in each one of them, that’s why I chose them.” 

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